A Fool in Love
by AJ Kenobi
Summary: Why am I so afraid to lose her when she isn't even mine? Bat. *COMPLETED*
1. These Feelings

**A Fool in Love**

**by**

**AJ Kenobi**

**Summary:**

**Why am I so afraid to lose her when she isn't even mine? Bat.**

**A/N:**

**Hope you guys enjoy this one! XD Don't worry, I'm still working on Missing...**

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own, nor do I claim to own any of the characters portrayed in this story-okay, you know what? Forget that! I'm not Dan Schneider! I don't own this show! XD Any random dudes or dudettes you don't recognize, of course I own, but besides random folk and the plot, I own nothing! **

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Beck, Beck!"

When Cat's bubbly voice hit my ears as I headed towards my next class I smiled, stopped and instantly turned around. The redhead was bounding towards me at top speed, with the _cutest_ grin on her face.

Yes, I said cutest. Don't even try judging me.

It's been about 3 weeks since Jade and I broke up, and there are times when I miss her so much…but then Cat innocently comes around, and I find myself not wanting Jade anymore.

To put it bluntly, I'm falling—or I've fallen, whichever you prefer—in love with Cat Valentine.

_Of course, the chances of her even liking me are very slim-_

"Beck, you aren't even listening to me!"

I snapped out of my reverie and looked at Cat, whose gorgeous smile had quickly melted into a sad frown.

And a sad Cat Valentine was never good.

"Um, I'm sorry Cat," I apologized in a rush, subconsciously running a hand through my hair. "Go ahead and talk."

She sighed, her smile quickly returning. "I've told everybody this except you, and I'm so happy!"

I laughed. Seeing her happy always made me feel good. "Well, why don't you tell me what you're so happy about?"

Cat giggled and squealed. "Okay, you ready?"

I nodded.

"Robbie asked me out on a date! Isn't that great? I mean, I've had a crush on him for such a long time, but I never thought he'd actually ask me out…"

Cat's voice faded as my heart fell. Right when I was starting to figure out my feelings for Cat, Robbie finally got up the guts to ask her out.

_Just my luck. _I thought bitterly.

Technically, I should've been happy for them, but I wasn't. True, no one knew I liked—more so _loved_—Cat, but that doesn't mean Robbie could just barge in like that and-

"Beck!"

I blinked and looked at Cat. "Yeah?"

"You weren't listening again!" She stuck out her bottom lip.

I sighed. "My bad, Cat."

"Aren't you happy for me and Robbie?"

_No. _I thought grudgingly. Aloud, I said, "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Yay!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around my neck. I chuckled and hugged her back…but then of course, the bell rang its regularly odd tune, immediately ruining the moment between us.

Typical.

She broke away from me and looked into my eyes, smiling gently. Her eyes were so beautiful…if only I could actually tell her that.

"We've gotta get to class!" She said, starting to walk away. When I didn't follow she turned around, her brows furrowing.

"Beck, aren't you coming?"

I let out another sigh, giving her a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm right behind you."

"Kay-kay!" She replied, giggling as she hurried off.

I watched her go, my emotions churning. Cat was everything I ever wanted in a girl—sure, she was ditzy and random half the time—but that was what made her so adorable and loving.

Her personality was what made me love her so much.

I shook my head and shoved my thoughts to the back of my head, hurriedly readjusting my backpack as I headed towards Sikowitz's next class.

As I rounded the corner I saw that Cat was still in the hallway…giggling and talking with Robbie, that is.

It made me sick to the stomach.

"Hey guys, we need to go in," I said, trying to hide my annoyance as I jerked my head towards the classroom.

Robbie looked at me and nodded, making sure he kissed Cat's cheek before he and Rex brushed past me and headed inside. Whether he did that just because I was standing there or some other reason, I didn't know.

Cat and I were the last ones inside the room, although class hadn't started yet and the others were still making small talk. Tori and Andre sat next to each other as usual, and Jade sat alone in a far corner of the room.

I took a seat and set my backpack down on the floor, and I couldn't help but stare at Cat and Robbie. He had his arms around Cat's shoulders since he was sitting behind her, much like I used to do with Jade. Cat of course, was blushing madly and giggling all the while.

_They haven't even gone out and he's already acting like he's her boyfriend. _I thought, rolling my eyes at them just as Sikowitz came onto the stage.

"Morning, class!" He greeted, roughly clapping his hands together. "Today, I've got a challenge for you...we're going to try a little bit of method acting. Who's up for it?"

Within a few seconds, Tori and Andre were onstage, acting out a dramatic, angst-filled love scene. I definitely knew they didn't mind.

Somehow my eyes left the stage and wandered over to Cat again, who seemed to be so happy with Robbie.

However, I was only thinking one thing:

_Why am I so afraid to lose her when she isn't even mine?_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Did you like it? I did! XD Next chapter coming soon. **

**-AJ-**


	2. Discussions and Observations

**A/N:**

**Thanks to Digidestend Angel, CourtsxBatFan, EllaChocolate, VictoriousForever10, CubeFistMan, vintagechic94, xoxoxGabriella-Katxoxox, Xxxx4evaSummerxxxx, kttrbg and SilverWaterBombadil for reviewing! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! **

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 2**

**-2 weeks later-**

* * *

**Cat Valentine: **Had a great time w/ Robbie again! He's so nice and sweet! And he's officially my boyfriend! I love exclamation points! :)

**Mood: **Giddy

_Tori Vega, Andre Harris, and Robbie Shapiro like this._

**Robbie Shapiro: **Cat and I had another date last night at In&Out Burger, and we had an awesome time. I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes! Thanks, Cat! :D

**Mood: **In-love :)

_Tori Vega, André Harris, and Cat Valentine like this._

* * *

"Hey guys," I greeted Tori, Andre and Jade as I sat down to lunch. I unwrapped my burrito and took a huge bite before speaking again.

"So," I mumbled in between chews, "You guys hear about Cat and Robbie?"

André nodded. "Yeah, we saw their updates on TheSlap."

Tori smiled. "It seems to me like their relationship has really hit it off, huh?"

I grudgingly nodded and then looked over at Jade who was frowning as she vigorously stabbed her fork in her Caesar salad.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked her.

Tori looked up from her phone. "Nothing much, she's just crabby because she likes-"

At that, Jade's head snapped up and she sent Tori a death glare. "Do you want this fork in your arm?"

Tori scooted closer to André, a fearful look on her face. "Um, I think I'll be quiet now."

Jade then looked past me and rolled her eyes. "Great, here come the two lovebirds now."

I turned around, my stomach churning upon seeing Robbie and Cat heading towards our table, food in tow and grins as wide as the ocean plastered on their faces.

"Hi, guys!" Cat greeted brightly, setting her food down before plopping next to me.

"Sup, Little Red?" André said with a smile.

Robbie adjusted Rex on his lap before speaking. "Cat and I had a great time last night-"

"Everybody in this school knows that, so shut up." Jade said, spewing her oh-so-familiar venom towards him.

"Yeah, I'm glad Robbie finally got himself a girlfriend so his hand won't be shoved up my butt all the time!" Rex said in his usual tone.

I rolled my eyes as Robbie "scolded" him, and instead focused my gaze Cat. She looked so cute with her sunny yellow dress and heart-shaped sunglasses on.

"I like your dress, Cat." I said, ignoring the look I got from Robbie.

Cat giggled and touched my forearm. "Thanks, Beck! And I like your…" She paused, her brows furrowing as she looked me up and down.

"I like your hair!" She giggled, running her small hand through my hair, which of course made me blush.

"Cat, here's your food." Robbie said loudly and in a rush, purposely ruining the moment between us. I refrained from sending him a glare, not wanting my feelings to be revealed in front of everyone.

"What are everybody else's plans later?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Tori fiddled with her hair. "Me and André are gonna go see a movie tonight."

"A movie?" Cat began excitedly. "There was this one time, when my brother and I went to a movie theater and he started throwing popcorn at the screen, and-"

"Cat, can't you go just _one_ day without talking about your brother?" Robbie asked, which shocked me.

_The jerk!_ I thought angrily. Everybody knows good and well that Cat's _extremely_ sensitive, especially when it comes to people she loves.

"But, I thought you liked my stories about my brother!" Cat replied to her boyfriend.

"No, no, I do," Robbie said, quick to defend himself. "I just thought that maybe you could…I don't know, take a break for a while."

"Oh, okay." Cat mumbled quietly, looking down at her grilled cheese and tomato soup with tears in her eyes.

Silence hung amongst us. Everyone was shocked that Robbie had actually told Cat to be quiet—even if it was in a semi-nice way.

I felt my temper beginning to rise as I gave Robbie a look. How dare he make Cat cry?

"So after school who wants to help me throw rocks at that big abandoned building downtown?" Jade asked as she finished eating.

"You mean that tall, brick building next to that seafood place?" André asked, frowning.

Jade nodded. "I've got some rocks in my backpack-"

"Jade, that building's not abandoned. There are probably people in it right now." I pointed out.

She rolled her eyes and stood. "Way to ruin the mood." With that she walked away.

I glanced over at Cat, who since her "reprimanding" from Robbie had begun to eat her food. She still looked sad, however, and I didn't like that at all.

"You two have any plans tonight?" I asked her.

She looked up and shrugged. "Um, I don't know." She then looked at Robbie. "Do we?"

He shook his head. "No, I've got a trip to the dentist today."

I raised my eyebrows. "That'll take all night?"

"I have very sensitive teeth!"

I rolled my eyes at him and looked back at Cat. "You wanna come over and watch some movies?"

Instantly her face lit up. "Can we see The Lorax?"

I grinned. "We sure can."

She giggled and clapped her hands. "Yay! I can't wait!"

Robbie then cleared his throat loudly, annoying me for the millionth time. Honestly, would he ever stop?

"Cat, I think you forgot to ask me something," He said.

She furrowed her brows, and then she smiled. "Oh, yeah! Can I go watch movies with Beck tonight?"

Robbie nodded, smiling as he leaned over and pecked her cheek. I ran a hand through my hair, and then blinked as I realized something.

She had to ask for _permission_ to watch movies with me?

_What a jerk_. I thought bitterly, looking at my watch. "Time to head back in, guys."

Robbie wiped his hands on a napkin and nodded. "Be right back, I gotta throw my trash away." He then shoved Rex into my hands. "Hold him for me, will ya?"

Before I could protest he walked away.

_What on earth does she see in him-_

Cat's sudden giggles broke me away from my thoughts. I looked down at her, amused but a little puzzled.

"What's so funny, Cat?"

She pointed to Rex in my hands. "You look so funny with Rex!"

I laughed along with her, grateful that Robbie hadn't come back yet because otherwise, the moment would've instantly been ruined.

"You wanna go inside?" She asked after she'd calmed down.

I nodded, setting Rex down on the table. "Yeah, let's go. Doesn't look like Rob's coming anytime soon."

She just laughed and we both started to walk inside. I swear, everyday Cat did something so simple that just made me fall in love with her even more.

The only thing I don't understand is why love has to be so complicated.

* * *

**A/N:**

**So I'm not really satisfied with this chap, because it took me **_**forever**_** to figure out where to take the story and then that's how this was born. So if you didn't like it, oh well, because that's all I've got for now. XD **

**Click that button for me! :)**

**-AJ-**


	3. Hanging by a Moment

**A/N:**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm really loving this story, I hope you guys are! XD Hope you enjoy this chapter. ^^**

**_"True love is a lot like ghosts. Something everyone talks about, but very few have seen." -Unknown_**

**Disclaimer: **

**I'm not even going to say. You know I'm not Dan, so back off! XD ^^**

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I quickly muted _SportsCenter_ and pulled out my phone and looked at the screen. I instantly smiled when I saw it was a text from Cat.

**Cat: **_Beck, I'm outside! Open the door! :)_

I stretched and stood, walking over to the door and swinging it wide open. I smiled at Cat, who stood with short shorts on and a Lorax t-shirt along with her stuffed giraffe Mr. Longneck.

"Hi, Beck!" She greeted with a wave.

"Hey," I replied smoothly. "C'mon in." I extended my hand and she took it as I gently pulled her inside the RV.

After I closed the door I quickly scurried over to the mini-fridge and grabbed us two sodas. I gave Cat a bottle and then set mine down on the nightstand and went to go grab the popcorn.

"So when are we gonna watch the movie?" She asked as she sat down on the edge of my bed.

"We can start now," I told her as I poured our snack into a large red bowl and walked over to her.

She squealed. "Yay, I love popcorn! It's so cute!" She grabbed a handful and started to munch.

I shook my head and laughed silently at her. This was definitely going to be a great night.

I pushed the play button and within minutes Cat was giggling and laughing, which never ceased to bring a smile to my face.

"Look!" She pointed to the screen as the Lorax made his appearance. "It's just like my shirt!"

I laughed. "That's because he _is_ on your shirt, Cat."

She looked down at her shirt and then back at the screen. "Hey, you're right!" She giggled and punched my arm playfully. "Oh Beck, you're so smart!"

I blushed. _Cat, if you only knew…_

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes and cleared the haziness that had washed over my pupils. I focused on the TV, and saw that the movie credits were rolling.

I yawned and looked up, crying out when I saw Cat leaning over me with a huge smile on her face.

"It's about time you woke up, sleepy-head!" She giggled as she grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "You ready to go home?"

She nodded, grabbing her PearPhone. "Robbie just texted me and said he can't pick me up, so..." Her voice trailed off and she got that look in her eyes.

I instantly reached over and grabbed my keys. "No prob, I'll drive you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Beck."

"Anytime, Cat."

* * *

Cat and I were laughing the whole trip over to her house. Mostly we talked and joked about the movie and what our favorite scenes were, but some stuff was just her being random and some wacky stories about her brother.

Which, like a _certain_ boyfriend who didn't "have time" to pick her up, I didn't mind hearing.

"So," I asked when I had finally stopped laughing. "Did you really enjoy yourself tonight?"

Cat hugged Mr. Longneck to her chest and smiled. "Yeah, I did. I've never seen that movie before, but it looked so cute from the previews!"

"Robbie never takes you to the theater?"

She shook her head. "Whenever we go out on dates we always go to a restaurant, and then afterwards he takes me to his house to watch a movie."

She then looked down, her voice getting quieter. "I get tired of it sometimes."

I slowed and looked at her as we reached a stoplight. "Tired of what?"

She didn't look at me, instead deciding to fiddle with a loose piece of yarn on her shirt. "Well, he…sometimes he tries to kiss me, but I don't want to kiss him. I mean, it would be nice but it would be our first kiss as boyfriend and girlfriend, and I want it to be _really_ special."

The light turned green and I revved forward, worry spreading to every inch of me. "Cat, he doesn't…he doesn't try to _force_ himself on you, does he?"

Her eyes grew wide and she immediately shook her head. "No, never! It's just that, well, Robbie hasn't had a girlfriend before so he's kinda inexperienced, y'know?"

A million thoughts ran through my head as the car fell silent, but before I had the chance to say what actually I wanted to, we had already pulled up in front of the Valentine residence.

"Yay, we're here!" Cat said cheerfully, unbuckling her seatbelt and grabbing her purse. She got out of the truck and I did the same, walking with her to the door.

When we got to the porch and she prepared to go inside, I sighed. The night had been wonderful for both of us; I just didn't want it to end so quickly.

"I had a great time, Cat." I said, smiling softly.

Cat smiled and touched my forearm, making me blush. "I did too, Beck!" She said with a giggle. "I hope we can do it again sometime."

I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets as an awkward silence passed between us. Her face was lit in the pale moonlight, and her candy red hair blew slightly in the stiff breeze.

I swear in that moment she couldn't have looked anymore beautiful.

I don't know what came over me in the few seconds that followed. Hormones, mixed with nervousness was more than likely the cause, but then again I wasn't too sure.

Hesitantly, I reached up to caress her cheek with my fingertips. She didn't flinch or back away, which was a good sign.

"Cat," I whispered tenderly, looking deep into her chocolate brown eyes. "Cat, I-"

"Beck," She spoke so quietly I wasn't even sure if I had heard her. "I...you know I love Robbie."

Those few words crushed me, having not heard them come from her lips. I sighed, removing my hand from her cheek.

Things were even more awkward now.

_Stupid me,_ I thought, shoving my hands back in my pockets where they belonged.

Cat turned away from me and put her hand on the doorknob and turned it, swinging the door wide open.

"Goodnight, Cat." I said softly, hoping she'd turn back around to at least hug me.

Without another word Cat walked inside of her house and softly shut the door behind her.

I'm such an idiot.

* * *

**A/N:**

**That button is begging to be clicked down there! ^^**

**-AJ-**


	4. Earthquake!

**A/N:**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! ^^ **

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 4**

* * *

I slammed my locker shut and prepared to head home after another long day. What happened with Cat last night was still heavy on my mind, and I could only hope that she hadn't told Robbie…not that I was afraid he would beat me up, but you get the picture.

I sighed and began to walk towards the double doors when suddenly Robbie came running up to me at top speed.

Just _perfect._

"Hey Beck, I just got a text from Cat." He explained in short breaths, shoving his baby blue PearPhone in my face.

I pushed his hand away to look at him. "Why are you telling me? She's your girlfriend." _Unfortunately. _I added silently in my head.

He frowned. "I know, but it she says she and Jade are over at her mom's boss' apartment and she needs my help. Seems Jade broke something and Cat wants me to fix it."

I blinked. "I'm still not getting what this has to do with me."

"I was thinking maybe you could drop me off at my house so I could get my toolbox, and then you could-"

"Go with you?" I finished, shaking my head as I began to walk away. "No thanks."

"Beck, c'mon!" He cried, running to catch up with me. "Please? It'll just be me and the girls…and besides, I need a man-friend."

I stopped walking, turned around and gave him a weird stare. "Okay, okay, I'll come. My truck's in back."

Robbie smiled and I rolled my eyes. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise you'll never, _ever_ call me a 'man-friend' again."

* * *

It was about 6:30 when Robbie and I stood outside the door of Cat's mom's boss's apartment. Too many apostrophes, I know.

Anyway, Robbie pressed the speaker button and spoke into it…not that he would do anything else.

"Cat, hey, Cat!" He called in a boyish voice that annoyed me.

"We're in here!" She said back, sounding happier than usual. That was good; at least she wasn't mad at me after what happened last night.

As we waited for either of them to let us inside, I could faintly hear Jade ask Cat, _"You called Robbie?"_

Cat replied, _"Yeah, he came to fix the window."_

"_Robbie can barely fix the zipper on his own pants!"_

Apparently Robbie had heard their little conversation, and he immediately groaned. "Why does she hate me?"

I shrugged. "But please zip up your pants, dude."

As he did so, I was amused about Cat and Jade's conversation. To me it sounded like Jade had been _nervous_ when she asked Cat about Robbie, not upset like I had been expecting of her.

If that was the case…well, I think you catch my drift.

* * *

I quickly signed the form and handed it back to the window repairman. "Thanks for fixing the window." I told the balding man.

"Yeah," Cat began innocently, "And we didn't even notice your lack of hair."

I fought back a laugh as the man left. Cat was too cute and innocent for her own good sometimes.

I turned around and looked up at Robbie, who was just finishing up rehanging the guitar while Jade held the ladder for him.

"Everything all good up there?" I asked.

"Yuperooni!" Robbie exclaimed as he climbed back down carefully.

"And you can't even see where it broke," Jade added.

"Yay, now my mom's boss won't know anything bad happened!" Cat said, grinning happily. I looked at her and smiled.

"Whoa, is this a real skull?" Robbie asked as he picked up and examined the skull that Jade had earlier.

"Yeah, give it so I can put it back." Jade said, her hand outstretched as she followed him.

Robbie frowned. "No, I'm looking at it!"

_Uh-oh. This can't be good._

Jade grabbed one end of the skull and tugged in her direction. "Robbie, give it to me-"

"Jade, stop!"

"Robbie, we don't have time for this-"

"Just let me see it-"

"FINE!" Jade screamed, suddenly releasing her end. Of course, Robbie fumbled with it and it went flying—straight into the glass table.

Cat and I gasped as shards of glass spread across the floor. Almost as if on cue, the guitar came unhitched again and crashed into the lamp nearest us, breaking it and sending the sparks in me and Cat's direction.

In an instant I grabbed her and held her close, shielding her from the pieces of debris.

Once the chaos had subsided, I looked around. Things were even worse than when Robbie and I came in the first place.

Cat began to whimper as she looked around the room, and I could see her eyes filling with tears. I let go of her and she covered her face with her hands.

"Don't cry," Jade said worriedly.

"But-" Cat began, her voice shaking. She was interrupted by a buzz on the intercom.

"I heard a buzz." Robbie said, stating the obvious.

Jade looked at him. "Zip up your pants!" I noticed that Jade was staring at him as he did so—more so staring at his pants.

I rolled my eyes and stood by Cat as she pressed the button to answer the intercom.

"Hello?" She asked weakly.

"Cat? It's Carl Gibbons, I forgot my key. Could you buzz me in?"

I frowned. _Who's Carl Gibbons?_

Cat turned to all of us with fear in her eyes. "It's my mom's boss!"

_Oh boy._

"Could you buzz me in?" Mr. Gibbons asked again.

Cat turned back around and pressed the button. "Um, sure…or maybe you could go to Europe for two weeks!" Cat then turned to me, a hopeful look on her face. I smiled sympathetically at her, but shook my head.

That was definitely not going to get us out of this mess.

"Cat, buzz me in."

My heart broke as a few tears rolled down Cat's cheeks. "Kay-kay." She said sadly, walking away from the intercom, sobbing as she collapsed in a nearby chair.

I patted her back and sighed; I wished that I could've done more, but Robbie was there and now was definitely not the time for me to be even more of an idiot.

"Aw, Cat, it'll be okay." Robbie said to his girlfriend.

"Yeah," I agreed, trying to be positive. "When he gets here, we'll just tell him-"

My words were soon cut short when the ground started to rumble fiercely.

I knew that any rumbling in California usually meant one thing: there was an earthquake.

"Earthquake, everybody cover your heads!" I screamed as the building started to shake. Fear pulsed through my body at rapid speeds, and I was literally shaking. I grabbed Cat immediately, pulling her into a corner of the apartment and shielding her body with mine as I held onto her as tightly as I could.

Books starting falling, pieces of the ceiling began to cave in; everything you could imagine was falling and breaking all around us.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing Cat even closer to me if that was possible.

I could only hope and pray to God that this would end soon.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yeah, so that was basically André's Horrible Girl written down, with some Rade snuck in. I still hope you guys enjoyed reading it. I really liked writing it. Next chapter is coming soon; it's called The Aftermath.**

**Do you see that button down there? If you don't click it, it might cry. So unless you're a heartless robot who likes to make things cry, be a nice human and click it for me, will ya? ^^**

**-AJ-**


	5. The Aftermath

**A/N:**

**Ta-da! I'm back! Thanks to LittleMissVictorious, xoxoxGabriella-Katxoxox, AppleFlame12, SilverWaterBombadil, TheWritingMonster, FaeryGirlsRock, Digidestend Angel and Izzy, VictoriousForever10, Bearybeach and CourtsxBatFan for reviewing! I seriously appreciate it! ^^ **

**If you haven't already, please check out my latest Bat fic, **

_**Hold Me Tight, And Never Let Me Go**_**. I really hope you all enjoy this chap! **

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Thirty seconds—the earthquake only went on for thirty seconds—and yet it still seemed like a lifetime had gone by.

When the ground finally stopped shaking I slowly opened my eyes and gently released Cat, although I still kept a protective arm around her waist.

My eyes widened as I surveyed the room; everything from the bookcase to the decorative lamp that hung in the middle of the room was broken or smashed in some way.

I sighed and glanced over at Robbie and Jade, who were slowly peeking out from their hiding places with obvious fear written across their faces.

"You guys okay?" I asked worriedly.

Robbie nodded, still shaking a little. "I'm fine, I guess." He then looked over at Jade. "Jade, you all right?"

Jade nodded wordlessly, avoiding his gaze.

I then turned and looked Cat deeply in the eyes. "You okay?"

Cat looked up at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm fine, Beck…but look at this mess! Mr. Gibbons is so gonna kill me!"

"No, he's not," I said reassuringly, hugging her a little. "Everything's gonna be okay-"

"CAT, CAT!" A voice called from outside, interrupting me. We all looked to where the source of the sound was coming from, and before we knew it a tall man with sandy brown hair stumbled into the apartment.

"Cat," He breathed in relief, glancing over all of us.

"Hi, Mr. Gibbons." Cat said, giving a half wave as her voice quivered nervously. "Um, some stuff broke."

Mr. Gibbons shook his head. "Yes, I felt the earthquake while I was coming up the stairs." He patted my shoulder. "You kids okay?"

I nodded and smiled a bit. "Yup."

"I'm fine."

"We're good."

"I'm Robbie!"

I rolled my eyes and gave Robbie a look as Cat spoke again. "We're really sorry about your guitar, and your window, and your table."

Gibbons nodded in understanding. "Ah, that's okay. It wasn't your fault."

Cat's brows furrowed. "But-"

"Cat," Jade said firmly yet gently as she placed her hands on Cat's shoulders, "Mr. Gibbons isn't mad at us because he knows _the earthquake broke his stuff._"

"Yeah," I said, going along with it. "We can only blame the Earth."

"And it's quaking!" Robbie added for emphasis.

Cat smiled, at last realizing what we were getting at. "Oh, right."

"Well, I'm just glad Coober and you kids are all right." He said finally as his dog leaped into his arms.

Smiles went all around the room. Everything was perfectly fine for now…that is, until-

"Son, your zipper." Mr. Gibbons told Robbie as he nodded towards him.

Robbie frowned and immediately zipped up his pants. "Jiminy!"

* * *

**Tori Vega: **EEEK! Earthquake 30 minutes ago! Everybody okay out there?

**Feeling: **On edge

**Comments: 14**

**Robbie Shapiro: **I'm fine! Just glad we were all together. Well, except you and André weren't with us, so technically we weren't _all _together, but it's still the principal of the matter!

**Jade West: **Robbie…SHUT UP.

**Cat Valentine: **I was really scared, but I'm glad Beck protected me. Thanks, Beck! ^^

**Beck Oliver: **No problem, Cat. ;)

**Tori Vega: **I'm glad everybody's okay. ^^ So, are you guys coming over to my house to study tomorrow night?

**Cat Valentine: **Count me in, Tori! :)

**Beck Oliver: **Sure am. Thank goodness it's just math and not some crazy Sikowitz invented skit. XD

**Robbie Shapiro: **I'm coming! Jade, you gonna be there?

**Jade West: **No, I've got stuff to do. And zip up your pants.

**Robbie Shapiro: **Gah! How'd you know? O_O

**Jade West: **I've got my ways.

_Jade West has logged off._

**Robbie Shapiro: **That was…creepy.

**Rex Powers: **What's even creepier is that you're wearing girls' jeans! HA-HA!

**Robbie Shapiro: **REX! DX

_Beck Oliver, Cat Valentine, Tori Vega, and Robbie Shapiro have logged off._

* * *

The bell rang, and I grabbed my backpack and immediately rushed out the door. I didn't really feel like talking to anybody today; I just wanted to go home and wait until it was time to go over to Tori's house to study.

"Beck, wait up!"

I stopped and turned around to see Jade heading towards me. Why is it that just when I'm about to leave _someone _always has to stop me?

"What is it, Jade?" I asked her, not trying to keep my annoyance hidden.

She looked around for a brief moment before asking, "Can we talk?"

I raised my eyebrows. "If this is about getting back together, then the answer is 'no'."

She scoffed. "I'd rather slam my head in a car door."

I smirked. "I've got a car."

Jade rolled her eyes but sighed. "C'mon, I'm serious. Please?"

I blinked as I adjusted my backpack. "This _must_ be serious if you're asking nicely."

"Trust me, I won't be like this for long."

I nodded and started for the door again. "Okay, let's go then. We can talk in my truck."

* * *

I could feel a slow smile creep up on my face. "You like _Robbie_?"

"Shh!" Jade warned, slapping her hand over my mouth. "Not so loud!"

When she removed her hand I couldn't help but chuckle. I was already aware of the fact, but for Jade to admit it herself was amusing, to say the least.

"Beck, stop laughing at me."

I nodded, although I was reluctant to. "So you like him. What am I supposed to do about it?"

"I don't know," She admitted quietly. "I've been trying to convince myself that I'm going crazy, but then he goes and does something so goofy or crazy that I actually think it's…it's-"

"Cute?" I asked, to which she nodded wordlessly.

"Not only that, but I _hate _seeing him with Cat." She continued. "They don't even make a good couple."

I sighed, mulling over her words. "Well, it looks like we both have the same problem."

She gave me a bizarre look. "You mean you're gay?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, of course I'm not. I mean you like Robbie and I like Cat."

"Oh," She mumbled. "Well, I figured as much."

To say the least, I was surprised. "I'm that obvious?"

She nodded. "Everybody knows you're practically drooling over her. Everybody except for Robbie and Cat, that is."

A few seconds passed by before I spoke again. "What should I do?"

Jade shrugged. "Beats me. But I swear, if you hurt Cat or make her cry, I'll cause you so much pain it'll be-"

I held up my hands. "Okay, Jade, I get it. And I won't be hurting Cat whatsoever."

Jade nodded, grabbed her bag and then got out of the truck. I sighed, starting it up as I drove away.

After a few moments of silence, I turned on the radio and a song that fit my situation all too well began to play:

**_Oh no, my walls are gonna break_**

**_So close, it's more than I can take  
_**

_**I'm so tired of turning and running away when love just isn't safe**  
_

_**You're not safe  
**_

I couldn't help but feel that things between Cat and I were going to get worse before they got better.

* * *

**A/N:  
**

**AWW! Poor Beck! DX I hope you guys enjoyed it. And the lyrics were "Safe" by Britt Nicole. Therefore, I don't own it. ^^ Click the button, CLICK THE BUTTON! XD  
**

**-AJ-  
**


	6. Pranking Sikowitz

**A/N:**

**Whoa, 61 reviews? Thank you all a billion times! XD It's obvious you love this story, and so do I! I appreciate each and everyone of you! ^^ Hope you enjoy!  
**

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 6**

* * *

We—meaning Cat, Tori, Robbie and I—were all hanging at Tori's house studying extra hard and extra late for math tests that were due Monday. It was already a quarter to 1:00 and honestly, even the carpet would feel good to sleep on right about now.

I yawned and let out a tired sigh. My eyelids were feeling heavy as I stared at the papers in front of me and fiddled with a pencil between my fingers.

"So…" I asked in what I assumed to be a loud voice, but probably turned out as a low and tired growl, "Does anyone know the answer to question three?"

Tori groaned and laid her head down on the table. "No, and even if I did I wouldn't care."

"This is _so _exhausting…" Robbie whined.

Cat sighed and rubbed her eyes. "But we've gotta stay awake. What can we do?"

We all mumbled out various ideas, but none of them really seemed plausible enough to keep us awake.

"I've got it!" Tori shouted suddenly, her head shooting up as she stared at us with a wide smile.

"What?" I asked, a little puzzled.

"We could-"

"I've gotta go to the bathroom, be right back." Robbie said suddenly, interrupting her as he hurried upstairs.

I shook my read and rolled my eyes. "_Anyway_…keep talking, Tor."

She nodded before yawning. "Now, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but maybe we could prank call Sikowitz!"

Cat and I exchanged glances and smiled mischievously before exclaiming, "That sounds awesome!"

* * *

"We all in?" I asked Tori as she fiddled with the camera to get it in the right position.

She titled the camera to the left. "No, move closer together."

I sighed and scooted over to my right, and Cat did the same, leaning on me all the while. Naturally, I didn't mind.

"Move closer!" Tori said again.

Cat simply giggled and booty bumped me over, closer to the end of the couch. Robbie moved a little bit as well, but saved enough space for Tori to sit down.

"I think I have a zit on my back," Robbie said, frowning as he scratched vigorously around his shoulder blade.

"Eww!" Cat said, frowning as she leaned onto me.

I was grossed out as well. "Dude, please stop."

Thankfully, just as Robbie was asking us to touch his zit, Tori came over and joined us on the couch.

"Are we rolling?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yup, we are. Okay, so we've been up studying _all_ night for math tests and it is now…"

I checked my phone before looking back at her. "1:30 in the morning." I raked my hand through my hair and yawned again.

"GOOD MORNING!" Cat said loudly as she laughed.

Tori smiled and continued, "So, since we're all really, _really _tired of studying we thought we'd all…"

Tori glanced at all of us, and Cat giggled cutely and then leaned her head on my shoulder, which made me blush a little.

"Do makeovers?" Robbie asked in answer to Tori's question, which made Cat giggle at him.

"Um, no…" Tori began, giving him a weird but playful look. "We're gonna prank call Sikowitz!"

"Yeah," I said in a tough voice, pumping my fist.

"We're gonna prank call Sikowitz!" Cat repeated, throwing her hands in the air.

Tori clapped her hands together. "But first, a special message."

_It's really wrong to prank call people._

_It really is._

_So wrong._

_Hiii!_

_So never, ever prank call anyone without your parents' permission._

_And if your parents __do__ give you permission to prank call someone,_

…_you have really bad parents._

_Does anyone have candy?_

_Shhhh._

_So never prank call anyone. NEVER!_

Once our message was finished I dialed Sikowitz's number and it immediately began to ring. Cat had begun to giggle softly to herself almost immediately, and I gently tried to shush her but she ended up making me laugh too.

"Oh, put it on speakerphone!" Robbie told me in a whisper.

"I know what to do," I said, pushing the talk button.

"Shh!" Tori said as we waited for Sikowitz to answer.

Cat was still laughing, so I put my arm around her and kept whispering to her, trying to get her to quiet down. But again, it didn't work. I swear her laughter is highly contagious.

Suddenly Sikowitz picked up on the other line. "H-hello? Hello?" He asked, his voice gravelly and sleepy.

Tori went first, putting on her best old lady voice. "Hello, may I help you?"

"Who _is_ this?" Sikowitz asked, obviously confused.

Tori seemed to be in thought before answering in a goofy man's voice. "Um, it's mustard!"

"Who? Mother?"

"No, I'm not mother, I'm mustard! I'm similar to mother, except I'm…mustard!" I could tell Tori was just going off the top of her head, but that was what made it even funnier.

Sikowitz sighed in annoyance. "Look, it's 1:30 in the morning."

Robbie was next. "Congratulations, you've won a new foot!" He exclaimed in a game show host voice.

"A what?"

Cat and I honestly couldn't stop laughing; Sikowitz's reactions to our craziness was hilarious. "Shh, babygirl," I whispered. Still giggling, Cat covered her mouth with her hand, and I consequently put my hand over hers, but we still weren't able to hold back our laughter.

Cat had calmed down a little, so it was my turn next. I sucked in a deep breath and put on an old man voice.

"Oh, old boy, allow me to clarify. The phone call began with a message from mustard," I paused for a moment, blushing when I noticed Cat had her eyes on me. "Then it seems you won some sort of contest where the grand prize was a fresh new foot. So congratulations, you are now the proud father of a bouncing baby kangaroo!"

"Ohio!" Tori cried suddenly.

"OHIO!" The rest of us echoed.

Sikowitz sighed. "Look, I think you've got the wrong number…"

Cat patted my knee, trying to hold back her giggles because it was her turn. "We don't have the wrong number, mister, _you do_!" She said in a cute voice.

"Who _are_ you?" He asked in a confused tone.

I knew I was the next one to go, but Cat surprised us all by shouting,

"It's Cat! And Beck, and Tori, and Robbie…Shapiro!"

I let out a groan and put my head in my hands. _So much for that…_

"Seriously?" Tori asked as she sighed and got up from the couch, probably to get something to drink.

Cat looked at us, confused. "What did I do wrong?"

I ran a hand through my hair and looked at her. "Well, when you prank call someone, you don't tell them who you are."

Cat giggled a little. "But I wanted Sikowitz to be in on the prank, too!"

From the other side of the room, Tori was sipping on some lemonade when she answered Cat's statement. "Yeah, but it kinda defeats the whole purpose when the other person knows about it."

Robbie, after picking Rex up from the dining room table, also joined in Cat's berating. "Yeah, and now we're gonna get in trouble! I can't _believe_ you did that, Cat." He said in a harsh tone, glaring at her.

Cat put her hands in her lap and looked down. "Oh…well, I'm sorry."

Robbie rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever."

I looked up at him, frowning as my irritation of his attitude towards Cat began to grow. "Dude, lay off. She said she was sorry."

Tori looked and me and nodded, but Robbie kept it going. "Who cares what she says? She always messes things like this up for us."

That was the last straw. Boyfriend or not, this jerk was definitely going to get a piece of my mind.

I got up from the couch and stalked over to him, my temper already boiling. "I told you to lay off, Rob. Nobody talks to Cat that way."

"Oh," He began in a sarcastic tone, "So you're her boyfriend now?"

"Maybe I should be, because you're such a lousy jerk!" I shot back, inches away from his face.

"Just shut up!"

"_You_ shut up!"

"GUYS!" Tori yelled, holding up her hands.

We both stopped arguing and looked at her. "What?" I asked.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Can you all _please_ stop fighting? I don't want my parents to wake up!"

I ran a hand through my hair. "I'll only stop if he apologizes to Cat."

Robbie looked past me and frowned. "But she isn't here."

I whirled around to see that Cat was no longer sitting on the couch, and that the back door was wide open.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Nice going, man." I then grabbed my coat and keys and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Tori called after me.

"To go find her." I called back before running outside.

* * *

**Only one more chapter after this one! Review! XD**

**-AJ-**


	7. Just You and Me

**A/N:**

**Hey guys! I know you're not the only one who's sad to see this story go, I am too. DX But, I do have another Bat fic out called **_**Scars and Stories**_**. Check it out when you get the chance! **

**But anyway, I'd like to thank EACH and EVERY reviewer that left a comment/critique. You all mean so much to me! ^^ **

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 7**

* * *

I knocked on the Valentine's front door and stepped back, letting out a shaky breath as I waited for someone to open it. Last night I hadn't been able to find Cat, so I had given up and went home, promising myself that I would get up first thing in the morning and check on her.

So, here I was.

_I just hope I don't screw this up…_

The door creaked open, breaking me away from my thoughts. I found myself staring at a middle-aged brunette woman with tired brown eyes and a soft smile.

I cleared my throat. "Um, Mrs. Valentine?"

She nodded. "Are you here to see Cat?"

"Yes ma'am. Is she here?"

Mrs. Valentine nodded and then stepped aside. "C'mon inside, hon."

I smiled at her and walked inside the large house. Overall, the inside of the house reminded me of the Vega's, only it was a bit smaller and it sort of smelled like a hospital. Pictures and portraits, both big and small covered every inch of the wall there was to see. It was definitely creative, to put it lightly.

Mrs. Valentine went to the bottom of the stairs and called up. "Cat!"

"Yes, Mom?"

"One of your friends is here to see you!"

"Is it Beck?"

Mrs. Valentine looked at me. "Are you Beck, or…"

I nodded. "Um, yes ma'am."

She looked at me skeptically for a brief moment before looking back upstairs. "Yes, it's him!"

"I'll be down in a minute!"

She looked at me and gestured towards the stairs. "You can go ahead on up. She's probably just watching a movie or something."

I smiled and nodded, bounding up the stairs. As I reached the hallway I looked to the left and saw one of the doors cracked open a sliver, and a sheet of paper taped onto the door that said _"Frankie's room"_ scrawled out in children's writing.

I shuddered and turned away, immediately heading to Cat's room. I had a sneaking feeling that if I went into her brother's room, I'd be scarred for life.

I walked to Cat's door and knocked on it twice. "Come in," She called softly.

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. _It's now or never, Beck._

I turned the doorknob and swung the door open wide. I looked around, noting that Cat's room was just like I remembered: the walls were painted pink and she had all sorts of stickers, fake jewelry and pictures of she and the rest of the gang plastered on the walls and about a dozen stuff animals on her bed.

Cat was standing by the window with her back turned to me. When I finally noticed that Robbie was with her and they were talking, I contemplated turning around and going back home—but then the little voice inside my head won the battle, like always.

I cleared my throat. "If you guys want me to leave, then I can."

They both turned around; Cat gave me a small smile but Robbie barely flinched.

"No, you can come in." She said softly. "We were just talking about you."

I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked towards them. "They were good things, I hope?"

Cat nodded. "Of course they were, Beck." She then nudged Robbie's arm a little.

I locked eyes with him as he stepped forward. "Look, Beck…I realized what you were saying last night. I was being a complete and total jerk to Cat. I was treating her like my friend, not my girlfriend. I wasn't giving her the respect she deserves…" He paused, looking at Cat before continuing. "You were right about everything. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry to both of you guys. I guess I never realized how bad of a boyfriend I am."

I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder. "Dude, you're not a bad boyfriend. You just need some training on how to treat girls, y'know? When you love someone you want what's best for them."

Robbie looked at me and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Friends again?"

He smiled. "Sure, man."

A few seconds of silence passed before I spoke again. "So, what does this mean for you two?"

Cat looked at Robbie and then back to me. "We're not gonna date anymore."

_Thank God!_

"Yeah," Robbie agreed. "We've always been good friends, and we're gonna stay that way. But I'm sure it'll be a little bit before Cat gets a new boyfriend, anyway."

Cat giggled and blushed.

"What about you?" I asked him.

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pocket. "I'll just keep being the nerd with Rex, I guess. Besides, what girl would want this?"

My mind immediately flew to Jade. But I knew that unless I wanted a pair of scissors in my back, I was going to keep quiet about Jade's secret and just let Jade tell Robbie in her own time.

"Somebody might!" Cat said, raising her eyebrows playfully.

Robbie laughed but shook his head. "Yeah, but I doubt it."

Suddenly we all heard a shrill beeping sound. Robbie pulled his phone out his pocket and then sighed.

"It's my mom. I've gotta go home to get-"

"Um, I don't want to know." I said, holding up my hands. "Just go."

Robbie rolled his eyes and then headed towards the door.

"Rob!" I called just in time.

He turned around. "What?"

I smiled. "She might be closer than you think."

He gave me a confused look as he left and closed the door behind him.

I heaved a deep sigh. It was just me and Cat now. To be honest this wasn't how I imagined confessing my feelings to her, but it was better than nothing.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Cat asked in a cheery tone, sounding like her usual self.

I shook my head. "Not really, Cat."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I kinda just wanted to talk."

She groaned. "More talking? Aw, but it's Saturday!"

I ran a hand through my hair. "I promise I won't be long, okay? Then we can watch a movie."

Cat nodded as she plopped down on the bed. "Okay, go ahead."

I bit my lip, unsure of how to begin the conversation. "Listen, Cat…we've been friends ever since you came to Hollywood Arts, right?"

She nodded.

"And you've always been there for me and I've always been there for you, right?"

Again, she nodded. "But why are you-"

"Just listen to me, please." I said gently, not wanting to upset her.

She stayed silent.

My heart was beating rapidly as I began to pace about the room. "Look, for a while now I've been seeing you in a different light, Cat. I don't know when it started—maybe it was after the Dale Squires movie, or maybe some other time—but I'm have these feelings for you, and…" I trailed off for a moment, not really sure what to say next.

Cat smiled. "Keep going, I love stories!"

Even with the way I felt I couldn't help but smile a bit. I finally stopped pacing and sat down next to her on the bed, looking deep into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Okay, look…I'm gonna say this as clear as I possibly can, Cat." I sighed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. "When Jade and I were dating it was great. We balanced each other out, and a lot of people knew we made a great couple. Are you following me?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Now, when we broke up, it kinda felt like a part of my heart had been taken out of my chest. There was a hole inside of me that I thought wouldn't be filled again…" I paused, taking her hands in mine. "Cat, I swear you've filled that hole for me. Whenever I'm feeling sad you never fail to cheer me up, just by smiling. You've been the best friend a guy could ever have, and I-"

"You what?" she whispered.

This time, I didn't feel the awkwardness that I felt over a week ago. I felt bold and confident, now that I had gotten this far without falling flat on my face.

I slowly reached out and cupped her cheek. "I love you, Cat."

Cat's lips trembled slightly as a beautiful smile slowly made its way onto her face. "Oh, Beck…I love you too."

I gave a soft laugh, feeling overjoyed. "Thank God."

With that she placed her small hand on the back of my neck and brought my face closer to hers. I closed my eyes, and my breathing slowed as our lips met.

It was completely magical and surreal at the same time. She tasted like strawberries and cream, which was the best thing in the world at that moment.

I don't know how long we kissed, but when we broke apart we were a little out of breath. My heart was beating rapidly as I looked into her eyes.

"I know this might be sudden, but…will you be my girlfriend, Cat?"

She giggled, and to me it was the cutest sound ever. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I smiled. "I love you so much, babygirl."

Our lips met once again, and I felt like I was floating on a cloud.

For the first time I knew what true love felt like—heaven.

"Beck?" Cat breathed when we broke apart again.

"Hmm?"

She laid her head on my chest. "Thank you."

"What for?"

She giggled. "For making this the best Saturday ever."

* * *

**Well, that's it…*sniffles* Oh, I'm just kidding. You don't really think I'd end this story without giving Robbie and Jade a happy ending, would you? Of course not! So you guys get one more chapter…but that's it! Please review. ^^ I hope you all enjoyed this. Oh yeah, and there's a poll on my profile I need y'all to vote on. It's important, so please check it out! XD  
**

**-AJ-**


	8. Forever Baby

**A/N:**

**Hello there! ^^ **

**This is THE final chapter of this story, and I'm a little sad. :( But I've had so much fun writing it, and I'm so glad for the 94 reviews! That's the most I've ever gotten on any of my stories. And I'm very open to a sequel, so for those of you who think I should write one, vote on my poll. :) To BooTheUnicorn, LadyAndBastard, Seddie-Bat, AppleFlame12, CourtsxBatFan, GlitterGirl123, SilverWaterBombadil, LilyFlower132, LittleMissVictorious, youreshowingoffagain, Soulful Ariana, Robin Is My Boy, Xxxx4evaSummerxxxx, Bearybeach, Digestened Angel and Izzy, and everyone else who reviewed—THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU ALL! XD**

**And this is in 3****rd**** person, so don't be confused. It's a little long, but it's worth it. :)**

_**Read, Relish, Review.**_

**Chapter 8**

**-2 ½ months later-**

* * *

"Okay," Sikowitz began to his students, roughly clapping his hands together. "For the last few minutes of class who'd like to hear about the one act play I'm directing?"

Everyone exchanged glances with each other and then looked back at their teacher.

"Sure, go ahead." Beck replied, smiling as he wrapped an arm around Cat.

Silence soon followed as Sikowitz just stared into space, seemingly in deep thought. This of course left everyone confused.

"Well?" André asked as Tori sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Sikowitz looked at him. "Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna tell us about the one act play you're directing?"

Sikowitz rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, if I _have _to…" He then whipped a small piece of paper out of his pocket. " First of all I'd like to thank you all for auditioning. So the two lead roles will be played by…"

Immediately everyone started beating the ground, imitating a drum roll with his or her feet. Cat crossed her fingers as she squealed in anticipation; she was really hoping for one of the lead roles.

"André and Robbie!"

André smiled. "Cool."

"Hot beef!" Robbie exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Oh," Rex groaned. "Would anyone _else_ like to be my guardian?"

Cat merely ignored the puppet, shifting in her seat as she spoke. "Did any of the rest of us get parts?"

Sikowitz smiled as he hopped off the stage and knelt down to Cat' s level. "Aww…is a certain little redhead hoping she got a role in teacher's play?"

Cat giggled cutely, making Beck smile at her. "Yeah, she is!"

Sikowitz's smile fell fast. "Well, she didn't."

Upon seeing his girlfriend's heartbroken face, Beck pulled her closer to him and placed a soft kiss on the side of her head. "It's okay," He told her softly. Cat smiled a little and leaned into his hold. He never ceased to make her happy.

Meanwhile Sikowitz was still giving out instructions. "But I do need some help with the backstage crew. Cat, Tori! I need you girls on lighting."

"Lighting?" Tori repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, you pronounced it perfectly." He replied, addressing her tone with sarcasm, which just made Tori roll her eyes.

"Jade, I want you to work with Sinjin's team on special effects."

Jade shrugged. "Okay, but I know nothing about special effects."

"We'll teach you." Sinjin told her in a creepy tone.

Jade and the rest of the class turned to look at them—if you saw them you'd be freaked out too.

Jade gave them a death glare. "If you creeps touch me you're dead meat."

That of course ended the conversation immediately.

* * *

Everything and everyone was buzzing about only an hour later in the Blackbox Theatre. The stage was no doubt set; Cat and Tori were ready with the spotlights, Jade was standing by the Turblow Jet, waiting to turn it on for the tornado.

Sikowitz walked into the room sipping on a coconut with a curly straw inside one of the holes. "Okay, is everybody set and ready to get going?"

"Ready!" Tori and Cat called in unison.

"That's good—Great _Ghandi_, where's my coconut milk?" He screamed suddenly.

Beck rolled his eyes. "You're drinking it."

Sikowitz started at the coconut in his hand. "So I am!" He then pointed to Rex who sat on one of the bales of hay. "Hey, what's he doing there?"

"I'm supposed to be watching him while Robbie's changing into his costume," Jade said as she sighed. "He said he didn't want Rex in there because he makes 'jokes'."

Sikowitz shook his head. "That is one crazy guy. But while we wait I wanna test the tornado out. Jade, blow me away!"

Jade rolled her eyes and flipped up what she thought was the blow switch. The machine roared to life, but soon it started sucking up everything it it's path—including Rex.

"Jade, turn it off, turn it off!" Tori and the others shouted frantically.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Jade yelled back, furiously pressing all of the buttons and switches on the control panel. Beck scrambled over to her to help, and within a few seconds they had managed to shut the Turblow Jet down.

"…Well, this shirt is a little big, but I think it'll work." Robbie said suddenly as he walked back inside the room, smiling.

He looked around at everyone's shocked expressions and frowned, and then looked to the bale of hay were Rex had been sitting.

"Hey, where's Rex?" He asked as his gaze fell on Jade.

Silence.

* * *

"REX! REX!" Robbie screamed loudly, trying to break free from Tori, Sikowitz and Cat, who were desperately trying to hold him back as Jade and Beck tried to get Rex out of the Turblow Jet.

Although it seemed like it took a lifetime, Jade was finally able to pry the puppet free—or at least, what was left of him. Aside from the various nicks and scratches, one side of Rex's face was dented in, and one of his eyes was hanging out of the socket.

Jade's eyes widened and she quickly tried to hide Rex behind her back, but Robbie tore away from Tori and the others and ran over to her before she got the chance.

"Rex!" He cried out, on the verge of tears as he snatched the dummy away from Jade's hands. "What did you do to him?"

Jade flinched. Robbie was practically having a nervous breakdown and it was all her fault.

_One more thing to hate._

"Rex, speak to me!" Robbie urged the puppet.

"Oh…" Rex moaned in a pained voice. "Is that you, Rob? I'm busted up pretty bad."

Robbie sniffled as a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "It's okay, I'm here." He then looked over the whole group. "We've gotta take him to a hospital!"

Sikowitz grabbed Robbie by the shoulders and shook him. "Robbie, we can't. We've got a show to put on, and there's a whole audience out there waiting to see you perform!"

Robbie sniffled. "But-"

"Okay, it's showtime!" André said as he reentered the room, clad in a plaid green shirt and overalls. Upon seeing the looks on everyone's faces, his smile instantly faded.

"What'd I miss?" He asked in confusion.

"Jade tried to kill Rex!" Sinjin exclaimed.

Jade shot him a look. "If you keep talking, you're next."

"Everybody calm down." Beck said, serving as the peacemaker. "Look, Cat and I will take Rex to the hospital, okay?"

Tori nodded and patted Robbie's shoulder. "Yeah, so will I."

Jade sighed and looked at Robbie, holding her hands out. "I'll go too. Lemme see him-"

"No!" He cried, shrinking away. "Let Cat carry him." Robbie then reached out and carefully placed Rex in Cat's arms. She smiled sadly at him before she and the others walked out into the hallway.

"Hey," Jade called to Cat and Beck, who were walking ahead of she and Tori. "Where are you going?"

"To the hospital." Cat replied innocently.

Beck looked down at his girlfriend. "We aren't _really_ going to the hospital, Cat. Rex is just a puppet."

Cat frowned. "Not to Robbie, he's not."

Beck sighed as he went to go get a drink from the vending machine. It was then that Jade spoke up.

"Y'know, maybe we should take Rex to the hospital."

Tori frowned at her. "Why?"

"So he can _die_ there," Jade replied as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

Beck took a sip of his Wahoo Punch. "I don't get it."

Jade sighed. "It's not healthy for a 16 year-old boy to have his hand shoved up a—_that_ all day." She pointed to the dismantled puppet in Cat's arms.

Tori shook her head. "But if Rex dies then-"

"Robbie finally comes to his senses and become a normal person. What a travesty!" She said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Beck shrugged his shoulders. "She's got a point."

Cat smiled. "My family thought my Uncle Jesse was normal, but then we found out every Sunday he soaks his feet in chicken fat. Can you believe that?"

Jade and Tori gave the redhead a weird stare, while Beck just smiled a little.

Tori headed for the door. "Let's just take Rex to the hospital."

* * *

The foursome followed Dr. Mitchell down the long corridor of the hospital.

"He's a puppet." The doctor said in a bored tone, looking down at his clipboard.

Tori nodded and sighed. "Look, all we want you to do is hook him up to one of those beepy machines and when our friend Robbie gets here, pretend he dies."

Mitchell looked up and gave them all a weird stare. "You want me to pretend this puppet dies?" He asked in disbelief, pointing to Rex with his pen.

They nodded.

"Is there any reason why a perfectly normal guy would soak his feet in chicken fat?" Cat asked innocently.

"Chicken fat?" Mitchell repeated, raising his eyebrows.

Jade sighed at looked at Cat. "Why don't _you_ go talk to the nice lady at the desk?"

Cat giggled. "Kay-kay!" With that she bounced away.

Beck watched her go, and then looked back at Dr. Mitchell. "So, will you do it?"

Mitchell walked further down the hall, passing various patients' rooms as he answered them. "Look, I'm a doctor. This is a hospital. I'm not gonna risk losing my job because of some stupid puppet-"

"C'mon, doc." Beck groaned in annoyance.

"Just do it!" Jade said forcefully.

"Please?" Tori begged.

Mitchell stopped walking and turned around to face them, seemingly considering their proposition. "Will you do something for me?"

The three of them exchanged confused glances.

"It depends," Jade said. "What is it?"

Mitchell sighed. "I have a 16 year-old son named Lendell. And frankly…well, he's a loser. I'll make the puppet die _only_ if one of you girls go out on a date with him."

Tori's nose crinkled. "How much of a loser?"

Mitchell reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet, opening it to reveal a picture of the boy.

Tori grimaced. "Oh God. He _is_ a loser."

Mitchell nodded in agreement. "So, will you do it?"

Jade put her hands on Tori's shoulders. "Tori would _love_ to go on a date with Lendell!"

Tori groaned. "Oh…okay, but for one hour. And it has to be a dark restaurant."

Mitchell complied. "It's a deal then. Follow me."

The girls went on ahead, but Beck stayed behind because he noticed Cat was no longer at the front desk talking with the nurse. Frowning, he walked over to her.

"Hi. Have you seen a redhead around here lately?"

The woman nodded. "I just had William take her to one of our special rooms."

"Beck, aren't you coming?" Tori called, peeking her head out from around the corner.

Beck shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "You two go on ahead. I've gotta go find Cat."

With that he started off in the opposite direction, anxious to find his girlfriend.

* * *

By the time Rex was hooked up to the "beepy" machine, Robbie and André were already en route to the hospital. And after he hurriedly explained to the doctors that Cat wasn't insane, Beck and Cat headed to the room where Jade, Tori and of course Rex were.

"Woah, that looks so real!" Cat exclaimed.

Mitchell nodded. "Now I've set the machine to flatline 15 minutes from now. Once your friend comes in, he can say his…'final' words and then it's over."

Tori smiled. "Great. Now all we have to do is wait for Robbie and André to come."

Suddenly Jade spotted something on the table next to Rex. She picked up a small jar and twirled it around in her hands. "What's this?" She asked Mitchell.

"Oh, that's just a fatty lump I removed from a cab driver's back."

Jade blinked. "Can I keep it?"

Mitchell raised an eyebrow, obviously confused. Still he agreed. "Sure."

Beck frowned at her. "Why would you want a fatty lump?"

Jade shrugged. "I like to look at it…"

Suddenly Tori's phone buzzed in her purse. After scrambling to get it out and staring at the screen for a few seconds she looked back up at everyone. "Guys, it's André! He said they're on the elevator now."

"Everybody take your positions!" Cat yelled, hiding behind Beck as if it were a surprise party. Beck laughed a little, and just as Jade walked over to them Robbie and André burst inside the room.

"Rex!" Robbie gasped in horror as he saw his puppet lying on the hospital bed. "Is he gonna be okay?" He asked Mitchell.

Dr. Mitchell's stoic face remained. "His…injuries are too serious. He may not last the night."

Robbie choked out a desperate sob, kneeling down by the bed.

"What in the name of Nancy is going on?" André asked, obviously dumbfounded. Tori shushed him, whispering in his ear that she would explain later.

"I guess I'll…leave you to say your final words." Dr. Mitchell said in monotone, giving everyone the hint to leave for the time being. After giving Robbie a comforting pat on the shoulder, everyone filed out one by one, Jade being the last.

"Wait!" Robbie called out to her, standing up. "Jade, will you please stay?"

Jade groaned. "Why me?"

"Because you're the one who caused all this." He then outstretched his arms to her. "And besides, I really need the comfort of a woman."

Sighing, Jade walked over to him and hugged him tightly as he cried onto her shoulder.

It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

Robbie and Jade were kneeling by Rex's bedside, and pretty much all was quiet except for Robbie's sniffling and crying. Although she was a bit annoyed, Jade truly felt sorry for Robbie. She hated seeing him like this.

"A-and then I remember the time we went to Mystic Mountain," Robbie told Rex through his tears. "And I didn't want to go on the Loop-De-Loop, and you called me a weinie!"

Jade just shook her head.

"But I went anyway, even though I peed on my pants." He continued, "And Jade's sorry for hurting you. She didn't mean to get you sucked up in a metal death machine!"

"Not this time, anyway." Jade said, still not believing she was talking to a puppet.

Of course, since Rex obviously wouldn't speak back to them, all was quiet.

Robbie had since stopped crying. "I-I don't know what else to say." He admitted in a quiet voice.

Jade placed her hand on his back. "I think you've said enough." She stood and headed for the door. "Let's go, Rob."

"Jade, wait," He called to her softly. "Will you sing his favorite song with me?"

Jade turned around. "What's his favorite song?"

"'Forever Baby' by Michael Corcoran. Do you know it?"

Jade shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She walked back over and kneeled down by the bed again.

Robbie sniffled, and then looked at Jade before starting to sing.

_**Move your body right next to mine **_

_**Feel the beat and we're lost in time-**_

"Jade, you have to sing on-key."

Jade looked down at him, frowning. "I was singing on key!"

"No, you were a little bit flat."

"I was not flat-" Jade closed her eyes and breathed out her annoyance. "Fine…"

_**Move your body right next to mine **_

_**Feel the beat and we're lost in time**_

_**I am yours and you are mine **_

_**Forever, baby**_

_Beeeeep…._

Robbie immediately gasped and started to sob again. Jade had no choice but to hug him and tell him that it was going to be okay.

"How can you say that?" He demanded.

"Because it's true. I know it may not seem like it, but maybe Rex dying is a good thing."

Robbie frowned. "That's impossible! How can someone dying be a good thing?"

Jade sighed. "Look, Rob…ever since I've known you you've toted that puppet everywhere you go. Out of the both of you he was the only thing that had a personality. With Rex dead maybe you can become a normal kid, do normal things."

Robbie bit his lip, seeming to consider Jade's words. "Why do you care if I'm normal or not?"

She blinked. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're Jade West." He replied matter-of-factly. "You barely care about anyone, especially me."

Jade remained quiet for a moment before speaking softly, "That's not true."

Robbie blinked. "What?"

"I said that's not true!" She yelled as she stood up, making him flinch. "I want you to be normal because I care about you! I don't want you to get locked away in some crazy house because of some stupid puppet you couldn't let go of!"

Robbie's face flushed as he stood to follow her. "Are you serious?"

She folded her arms. "Of course I'm serious! I don't just going around saying stuff just for the heck of it! For God's sakes I think I might love you." She whispered that last part.

Robbie just stood there for a moment, his arms lying limply at his sides. He could feel Jade's gaze on him, but he didn't want to look at her just yet.

"Well?" She demanded hotly. "Do you like me, love me, what? Did I just pour out my heart for no good reason?"

Robbie said nothing, still thinking.

Jade threw her hands up in the air in defeat, ready to leave the hospital. "You know what, just forget it. You're hopeless-"

Jade couldn't finish her sentence because Robbie reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. Her eyes were wide with questions, but before she got the chance to ask any he closed the gap and crushed his lips to hers.

Jade couldn't fully comprehend what was happening, but instead of breaking away she intertwined her fingers in Robbie's black curls as she kissed back with the exact same force.

When they finally did break apart they were out of breath, and they gazed deep into each other's eyes.

"Wow," Jade breathed.

Robbie smiled a little as he blushed deep red. "So…what does this mean?"

Jade sighed. "What do you want it to mean?"

"That you'll be my girlfriend?"

Jade smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Robbie leaned forward and kissed her again, more soft and tender this time. Jade wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her body.

"Aww! You guys are so cute!"

Robbie and Jade broke apart instantly, blushing as they turned around to face Cat, who was grinning like mad while the rest of the gang just stared at them in disbelief.

"Woah," André exclaimed, his eyes wide. "And I thought I had seen it all!"

Tori slapped his arm playfully and smiled at Jade and Robbie. "We're so happy for you guys!"

Beck nodded in agreement as Dr. Mitchell stepped into the room.

"So I assumed you're done with him?" He asked, pointing to Rex.

Robbie sucked in a deep breath. "Yes, finally. I realized I don't need a puppet to rule my life." He wrapped an arm around Jade's waist. "I've got Jade now, and she's all I need."

Cat and Tori "aww'd!", while Beck and André just rolled their eyes at the fluffiness.

Suddenly Tori's eyes widened as she realized something. "Guys, we've gotta get back to the school! The play starts in 5 minutes!"

After thanking and saying goodbye to Dr. Mitchell, Beck, Cat, André and Tori all raced out of the hospital and bolted for Beck's truck.

Before leaving the room Robbie took one more look at Rex before walking into the hallway and heading for the door.

Jade noticed he was sort of quiet, so she grabbed his hand before speaking. "You all right?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about Rex."

Jade sighed. "Do you think you'll be able to let him go for good?"

Robbie nodded, still smiling. "Sure I will. I've got you, right?"

Jade smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder as they left the hospital.

To her, it was nothing short of perfect.

* * *

***fireworks* Huzzah, I'm done! *thundering applause* It was worth the long read, wasn't it? I thought it was flufftastic! XD XD Review please! I worked extremely hard on that so please press the button. .NOW. XD**

**-AJ-**


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